As with many other hobbies and pastimes, a clay pigeon shooting experience is all you’ll need to get hooked onto the sport and start practising as much as possible. Mastering your shooting technique is time-consuming, taking a lot of practice, but is fun at the same time. Like any other field sport, clay pigeon shooting requires that you have an excellent instructor who can teach you the sport as it should be played.
Here is a beginners’ guide compiled by experts in clay pigeon shooting in Cambridge aimed at making you a top gun in the sport.
First Thing’s First
- Gun Safety
Before you even start with your clay pigeon shooting experience, you need to consider your gun safety first. Learn how to handle a gun properly and how to aim and shoot with the right timing. Take all the safety precautions before handling a gun like wearing protective gear, loading and unloading cartridges, and where you aim. A safety tip is to treat your gun like it is always loaded. In this way, you will always be careful about handling your weapon and keep everyone around you safe, including yourself.
- Identify Your Dominant Eye
You need to identify your dominant eye so you can learn to aim correctly as it helps you identify whether you are left-handed or right-handed. You can do this with a simple exercise in which you point to a location with your finger and close your left eye. If the object doesn’t move from its location, then you are right-handed and vice versa. Determining your dominant eye helps you identify the type of shooter you are, for a better first-time clay pigeon shooting experience.
- Select Your Gun
Clay shooting, as the name suggests, is all about shooting clay discs called, “pigeons.” The sport requires you to use a gun, of course. The benefit of taking lessons for clay pigeon shooting in Cambridge is that experts reside there who can teach you not only to shoot, but how to select your gun, as well. You can choose your gun based on several factors, like the barrel length, weight, stock size, calibre and configuration of the gun. Ladies typically require a different configuration than those for men. Selecting the right gun can make all the difference in your first time experience.
- Dress Properly
If you want to enjoy your clay pigeon shooting experience the right way, dress appropriately for the occasion. Sensible clothing is required for the field; take weather and the time of the year into consideration as well. Use ear- and eye-protective gear, as well as sturdy footwear. All this gear helps you keep your ears and eyes safe from dust and harm due to impact. Also, it will help you keep focused aim, concentrating on the target as you should. Keeping your stance firm while holding your shotgun; your footwear plays an important role in this.
To fully enjoy your first time shooting experience, equip yourself with the necessary protective wear and choose the right gun. Clay pigeon shooting is a great sport that needs precautions and practice to master. Once you’ve had your first experience, you’ll see why so many have such passion for it.